The Demon Rods
by The Good Doctor
Summary: My PSIV-reimagined-as-Chinese-literature continues with this epic story of Kyra and Zio  renamed Kaire and Zi-Ou . Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

A sudden, cold gust of wind sent a shiver down Ti'Er Kaire's spine as she sat on the steps of courtyard at the temple. In the Wudan Mountains, where she lived, near-freezing blasts of air in the evenings were as common as heavy mountain fogs were during the daytime. Kaire felt goose pimples form on the pale white skin of her arms. Used to these cold breezes, she simply ignored them and stared at the ground.

It was late—almost midnight—and all of the other Wudan students had retired to their beds. Kaire, however, could not sleep. She, the only female student at the temple, could not sleep as early as the others and really didn't need to. At this time, the only lights to be seen on Wudan Mountain were the faint flickers emanating from the numerous paper lamps filling each hallway and courtyard at the temple. The recent gust of wind threatened to extinguish the lights, but the flames burned on with the same low intensity that had been burning with since sundown.

Kaire wiped the large, spiky bangs of her blue hair aside and, looking around to make sure she was alone, reached into the sleeve of her billowy white robes. She pulled out two steel rods a little less than a cubit in length, both of which were sharpened at both ends. In the middle of each rod was a ring that fit Kaire's middle finger like a glove, and allowed her to spin them with a slight flick of the wrist. These rods were known as piercers and were a rare item indeed among all practitioners of the martial arts.

At the Wudan Temple, Kaire had trained principally in swordsmanship, namely with the _jian_, or two-edged straight sword. Moreover, as the Wudan Temple was a Taoist sanctuary, teaching both protection from evil spirits as well as from mortal forces, the straight wooden sword was something of a standard-issue weapon for all Taoist priests and priestesses, as it was highly effective against ghosts and fox spirits. She had become very proficient in it, and yet, didn't care for it as a weapon for her own personal defense. Always one to go against tradition, she decided that she'd pick the most obscure weapon she could think of to train in, which led to her learning how to fight with the piercers.

Kaire looked at the metal rods in her hand with a degree of scrutiny that her father, the head of the temple, often to referred to as a fetish of hers. Kaire rubbed the cold steel against her soft cheeks and ran her calloused fingers along the numerous etches in the steel. When Kaire had decided to train herself in this weapon, she had decided that such a weapon must be able to serve as a tool against evil spirits as well, so she had etched a number of characters, runes with magical properties, into each of the two rods. With the right incantations, the piercer could kill a fox as easily as it could kill a human being.

Another cold breeze caused Kaire to brace herself and shutter. Needing warmth, she got up and walked quietly to the center of the courtyard. Standing still for a few moments, she placed the two piercers under her belt and proceeded to tie a pair of cloth strips that hung from each of her sleeves in a knot, thus closing up her wide sleeves. She did the same with the wide, silk trousers she wore, which flared open near her feet and might cause her to trip should she leave them open.

Her limbs now free to move as she desired, she pulled out the twin rods and slid both of her middle fingers into the rings on each one. With a few slight twists of her wrists, the piercers began to spin quickly, producing a very faint WHOOSH sound. She turned her forearms so that the piercers spun vertically and kept on spinning them with her suave movements. After a few seconds, she began to extend her arms, one at a time, her wrists moving every so gracefully. Soon, she began to move them more rapidly, first back and forth, and then up and down. The piercers never stopped spinning as her arms moved in many different directions, bringing the whirling rods close to and far from her body.

Feeling confident with her movements, she began to do more daring things, swinging her arms close to her head, allowing her to feel the slight wind of the piercers in her face. She could hear the WHOOSH of the weapons as they dangerously neared her ear. But Kaire was already experienced, and always knew when to stop her arm before the piercers could cut a gash into her body.

With a quick movement of her middle and ring fingers, she caught the spinning rods. Kaire began to jab and slash the cool mountain air with their sharpened ends. She imagined herself surrounded by dozens of invisible enemies. Her movements became more elaborate; she twisted her body, swung her legs in high and low arcs, and plunged her piercers into the chests and hearts of any imaginary opponent who ventured to close to her. The calm, serene face that had, a few minutes before, stared blankly into space, quickly became red and contorted with emotion as she struck out towards oblivion, spinning the piercers occasionally to throw off and confuse any attacker near her.

She practiced like this for five minutes before stopping. She breathed erratically, each breath producing a fine mist of cold air in front of her face. A voice called from behind, startling Kaire and causing her to jump up.

"My dear, you'll catch your death of cold if you keep practicing so late at night." It was her father. Master Ti'Er stepped into the courtyard, his long white beard and sideburns contrasting in the light against his red robes. He stroked his beard contently as he looked at his daughter, still swinging the piercers in the palms of her hands.

"Father," she said, trying to catch her breath. "Please don't do that. You scared me."

Master Ti'Er chuckled and patted Kaire on the shoulder. "I'm sorry my dear. I must say, though, that you put on quite a spectacle with those piercers of yours."

Kaire always enjoyed hearing her father's praises. "Anything I can do to one day glorify our Wudan martial arts."

Master Ti'Er looked at the rods in Kaire's hands. "Hm. But the essence of our martial arts is in our swordsmanship and our soft fighting styles, not in exotic weapons. You should be practicing more with your _jian_ instead of these little toys."

Kaire chuckled. "Oh father. You know me, always against tradition. Besides, I wouldn't worry about my fencing abilities, they are quite honed if I say so myself."

Master Ti'Er sighed gravely and nodded. "Yes. I heard about what you did to Xie A'Tou in practice today. Was it really necessary to almost cut the man's ear off?" Master Ti'Er tried to sound like he was reprimanding his daughter, but Kaire sensed a bit of admiration in his tone.

Kaire rolled her eyes. "Xie A'Tou needed to be humbled. He and his friends, Li Fa-Gan and Gi Le-Fa, think their God's gift to kung fu. They always pick on the newbies and less experienced students. I just wanted to show them that they do have their place at this temple."

"Arrogance is a common trait among some of the upperclassman. Be patient with them, my daughter. It gives way to humility with time and experience."

Kaire tried to suppress a laugh. "Oh, I agree. I was just giving them a bit of experience to speed up the process."

"My dear Kaire," said Master Ti'Er, placing his arm around the young girl and leading her indoors. "If you always keep up this attitude, how will you ever get married? Nobody will want a wife this harsh and headstrong."

Kaire shook her head and sighed, wiping her bangs away. "Don't fret about such things, Father. Besides, when I find the right one, he'll love me for who I am, tomboy or no tomboy."

Master Ti'Er rumpled his daughter's hair for a moment. "If your mother were still alive, maybe you would be so harsh. But since I had to raise you since you were a toddler, I did the very best I could. It appears that my best parenting made you into a rough soul with a penchant for beating up your colleagues." He faked a sigh of despair.

Kaire winced; she didn't like her father describing her like that, even in gest. She put her arm around his shoulder. "Oh father, you talk as if you failed in raising me. To the contrary: You trust me in everything, you know my kung fu is quite good, and I know the in's and out's of the _maoshan_ techniques quite well."

Master Ti'Er shook his head. "Yes, my dear, although your _maoshan_ skills are not as good as Zi-Ou's."

Kaire shuddered at that name. "Please, don't compare me to him. That guy is so arrogant that he makes Li Fa-Gan look like a paragon of humility," she whined.

"But he does have natural talent for magic, plus quite a bit of ambition. He might make a good husband for y—"

"For the love of God! No, Father! Never speak of such things!" Kaire nearly yelled. Her father placed his finger gently to his lips to remind her that others were sleeping. "Please, let's cease all this talk of marriage and my behavior." Her voice began to calm down. "Father, I'm happy with myself the way that I am. I know that I will bring honor not only to the Ti'Er family, but to the Wudan School on the whole."

"I know you will, my dear. Come now, it's time to get some sleep." They had arrived at her room. She stepped inside and sat down on the mattress. Before closing the door, Master Ti'Er looked deep into the sparkling sapphires that were Kaire's eyes. "One more thing. Try to take it easier on Xie A'Tou and the others. The thing about hard-style martial arts is that there will always be someone who fights harder than you. Better to use a soft style than a hard one."

Kaire rolled her eyes; she had never been the biggest fan of the softer techniques used at the school. "Yes father," she said, monotonously.

Master Ti'Er shook his head and walked away. Kaire let out a deep sigh as she hid her piercers under her pillow and got up to remove her robes and slip into a thicker gown. In a few moments, Kaire lay upon the straw mat she called her bed and pulled a large comforter full of goose feathers over her thin body.


	2. Chapter 2

It felt like an eternity to Kaire as she climbed the seemingly endless flight of stairs that clung to the side of Wudan Mountain to the master's sanctuary, a building separate from the others that made up the Wudan School. It was still morning, and the mist that blanketed the brilliant green mountain had not yet descended to the valley below. Kaire could feel the little droplets of water brush up against her face as she made her way up the stairs. About every twenty steps, Kaire would stop to catch her breath; the air was quite thin so high up on the mountain and she wasn't used to having to run up the stairs in a hurry. Finally arriving at the top, she wiped the sweat from her brow with the hem of her beige robe and composed herself, assuming a more dignified walk as she entered the temple to talk to her father.

Inside the temple, she saw that there were five other people inside, waiting her arrival. Four of them she recognized. The first three were the "terrible trio"—as Kaire called them— Xie A'Tou, Li Fa-Gan, and Gi Le-Fa. Xie was decked in his purple Taoist cloak and cap, both of which sported a large Yin-Yang symbol embroidered into them. Li and Gi wore similar clothing, although the former's was a dark forest green and the latter wore red. The three of them faked their smiles as they bowed their heads slightly at Kaire, whom, fighting the desire to roll her eyes at them, showed them the same respect. Kaire giggled inside when she glimpsed the remnants of the cut on Xie A'Tou's face that she had given him in practice the day before.

Next to her father stood, Zi-Ou, the top magic student of the school. Zi-Ou was dressed in all black, which mingled with his long black hair in such a way that his clothing appeared to Kaire to be an extension of his entire being. Zi-Ou never tied his hair into a bun or into a ponytail like the other students at the school. There was a defiance of tradition that burned in Zi-Ou's eyes that made Kaire think of her own self. After all, she was different from most young women of her age and stubbornly refused to submit herself to whatever tradition would have required her to do, like marry at age sixteen and abandon the martial arts in favor of starting a family.

Zi-Ou stared at Kaire as she paid obeisance to both him and her father. She shuttered under his gaze, although she did her best to hide her feelings—now was definitely not the time or place for their rivalry. Whereas Xie A'Tou and the others were arrogant but definitely Kaire's inferiors, Zi-Ou was arrogant and just as talented, at least in magic, as Kaire was. This often angered her to no end, although she could never figure out why. Maybe it was because she felt threatened by her father's occasional doting on Zi-Ou, him being the sort of proverbial "son he never had." Kaire scrutinized Zi-Ou at every possible opportunity, and came to the conclusion that while that may be part of the reason, there was something else, something she couldn't quite put her finger on, that unnerved her about him, his handsomeness notwithstanding.

The last person, whom she didn't recognize, was dressed in set of robes made of red and baby blue silk, the sign of royalty. The miter the man wore gave away his position as a court official, Kaire snuck in a glimpse of the scroll the official carried and saw the Emperor's seal. "Why would the government want anything to do with us?" Kyra thought. "We've always been removed from politics of any sort."

With a quick nod from her father, Kaire kowtowed to the official and then rose to await instructions.

"Kaire, this official has come here from the capitol on the most urgent of business," her father said gravely. Master Ti'Er motioned for the official to speak.

The official nodded and unrolled the scroll and began to read in a nasally voice, "It has been decreed by the Emperor that the Wudan School join forces with the government in the extermination of all non-human entities living within the confines of the empire. It has been discovered that they are conspiring against His Holiness, in direct contradiction to the Mandate from Heaven, and thus present a danger to the stability of this great empire. All entities that have gone beyond their sphere to dwell in this world must be forcibly destroyed if the empire is to continue.

"The Wudan School, based on their reputation in the Empire as a reputable school in training students in both the martial arts and the tenants of Taoist alchemy, is hereby convoked by the government to the front lines of this battle against those spirits who would deprive the Empire of its glory. The success of this venture, by order of the Emperor, shall result in favors and honors to be bestowed upon the school. On the other hand, failure to comply with this decree will result in the forcible closure of the school and the declaration of its members as enemies of the State."

The official paused and popped his little head out from behind the scroll, looking at those present with his beady eyes. They all stared at him, waiting for him to say something else. He narrowed his eyes for a moment and then rolled up the scroll. "Master Ti'Er, may I then count on your assistance in this endeavor?" The official's sinister smile sent a chill through Kaire's spine.

Master Ti'Er stroked his long, white beard for a few moments and then nodded. "You know that here at Wudan, we strive to keep ourselves out of politics as much as possible. But given the circumstances, it seems that there is really no alternative. I shall send my best students to the capitol to begin an investigation there."

The official sneered. "Very well, then. Have them report to the capitol in one week." The official turned and left the building without saying anything else. Kaire made a face at him as he walked out the door.

Master Ti'Er spoke up, "Zi-Ou, I want you to take Xie, Li, and Gi with you to the capitol. I suspect that there is more to the story than the official said, but the decree puts our school in a precarious position. The four of you are the among the most talented the school has to offer—" Xie looked at his two cohorts and grinned. "You know the rituals associated with fighting evil spirits. You've been trained quite well for this. If there is any danger, I trust that the four of you will be able to handle yourselves."

Xie, Li, and Gi bowed to Master Ti'Er. "Yes, _sifu_," they said in unison. Zi-Ou remained silent, but nodded quietly in agreement.

Master Ti'Er lifted his hand and flicked it in the direction of the door. "The four of you are excused." Xie and his two colleagues slunk out of the temple and started down the stairs. Zi-Ou followed behind them and, before passing through the doorway, paused and turned to Kaire with a lingering smile. He then turned again and continued down the steps.

Kaire looked at her father and shook her head. "So father, why did you want to hear all that if you're sending the others?" Kaire asked rather snidely.

Master Ti'Er simply chuckled and shook his head. "My dear Kaire, you're just as involved in this mission as the others are. I do not trust the government at this point, although not for any of the emperor's doing. I suspect that someone else is behind the scenes in this matter. I wouldn't be surprised if this is connected to the same decree that was made against the Hunter's Guild a couple of years ago."

"Why would anyone want to do something like this," asked Kaire, now confused. "The Hunter's Guild was loyal to the government and the spirits, for the most part, have stayed on their side."

"That's the problem, my dear. Somebody at the court may feel threatened by that, especially if he has any ulterior motives. And the spirits are quite good indeed at finding things like that out, be it for good or evil. If there is indeed anything happening behind the scenes, the Hunter's Guild and the spirits would surely be opposed to it."

"What do you want me to do?" asked Kaire, falling to her knees and bowing.

Master Ti'Er bent over forward and placed his aging hands on Kaire's shoulder, helping her up. "My dear, I want you to go in secret to the capitol. Find out the truth. If the decree is in fact, based on the truth, you are more than ready to do battle with whatever supernatural forces that may oppose you. However, if the situation is what I fear, than a lot of innocent beings will be in danger, and not just the spirits."

Kaire bit down on her lips, trying to process everything that her father had said.

"Kaire," said her father, gently. "I trust you more than anyone in this world. I cannot tell you everything that you have to do. You have to use what you've learned and the good that I know is inside you to make your own decisions."

"I will not let you down," Kaire said humbly, bowing her head again.

"You will always be my pride and joy, daughter. It is not me whom you must worry about letting down. Now go and get ready. You have a long voyage ahead of you."

Kaire turned and started toward the staircase that went down the side of the mountain to the rest of the school. "Kaire," her father called.

Kaire paused, looking back to her father.

"Remember, nobody must know you're leaving. I can stall the others for about another day, tops. It's best if you leave tonight."

Kaire nodded and started down the endless flight of stairs. At least the trip down would be easier than the trip up, she thought to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a few hours before midnight when Ti'Er Kaire slipped quietly out of her room and headed toward the gate of the monastery. Clad in a thick beige shirt and bear-fur vest, with a leather cap covering her shoulder-length blue hair, she stole quietly through the corridors, keeping away from the paper lanterns that lit the place at that hour. She stealthily made her way from one building to another and within a few minutes, had reached the exit of the Wudan Temple. Soon, she began descending the multitude of stairs that led down to the base of the mountain.

Kaire had spent the day preparing for the journey, away from the others. Most of the time had been spent in her quarters, which were fortunately located away from the courtyards where the Wudan students practiced their martial arts and more importantly, away from the living quarters of the male students. Part of the day had been spent packing; Kaire was carrying a small backpack whose contents included two changes of clothes, a mat to sleep on, some money which her father gave her for whatever her necessities might be, and some food, mainly dry fruits. More important than the contents of her backpack, however, were those items related to her call as Taoist priestess, including her wooden _jian_, her eight-trigram mirror, and a leather pouch containing vials full of different chemicals, powders, and other objects which she might need to do battle with the supernatural. Naturally, she also brought her trusted piercers with her, which she kept hidden in a deep pocket inside her vest.

The cool evening breeze made the short, spiky hairs on Kaire's neck stand on end as she walked briskly down the steps. Her mind was a chaotic mess of different thoughts and worries, but for now, she tuned it all out in favor of concentrating on her task at hand, which was to get away from Wudan without being seen or spotted. The trip to the capital would take about a week, hopefully less, she thought, and would afford her more than enough time to ponder and sort out the numerous doubts and conflicts that raged within her mind. By now darkness had completely enveloped the mountain and to make things easier for Kaire, another thick fog, quite common in Wudan, began to descend from the mountain. Kaire slowed her pace as she ran down the steps, but felt otherwise invisible as the thick mist hid her from any possible wandering eye.

It was Kaire's plan to travel all through the night and the following day in order to get a good head start on the others. She had rested a good portion of that day, her father informing the others that Kaire had been feeling ill due to "complications that plague all women on a monthly basis." Kaire chuckled quietly to herself as she thought about it, but was grateful for such an explanation, as it would help to cast away any suspicion from the other four as to her whereabouts.

It took almost an hour and a half to make her way to the base of the mountain, but soon she reached the small village that lay at the base of the staircase. The village was already slumbering, save a small inn where some travelers were still awake and drinking, rather boorishly, thought Kaire. Kaire stayed away from the village itself and took a path that circumvented it in order to get to another road that would take her north toward the capital.

Two days had already past, and Kaire continued to make her way northward through the endless series of wheat fields and rice paddies that blanketed the fertile earth of the central regions of the empire. Having spent a good portion of her life on Wudan and the immediate area around the mountain, she had never experienced the fullness of the beauty of the country she lived in. She gazed in admiration and the golden fields of gently-swaying wheat that covered huge square-shaped tracts of land. It was this closeness to nature that helped her compose her thoughts.

Kaire's main concern was what she was going to do as soon as she reached the capital. Her father had told her seek the truth as to background of the decree, but she very obviously couldn't go to court and start snooping around. As both an outsider and a woman, that was out of the question. She could look for other Taoist priests and inquire of them, but if she fell in with the greedy sort of priest who was more a paid ghost buster, as her father put it, that would also prove less than advantageous to her mission.

Kaire also used the solitude of her journey to think about what she would do if her father's suspicions were right. After all, if the government had decreed the genocide of an entire race of spirit beings, what could she possibly do to help? It's not like these beings readily trusted Taoist sorcerers. Nor did it seem very reasonable that she could ally herself with them and take on whoever was responsible. As a good as a martial artist she was, taking on a government official would put her at odds with an entire army, which would be just suicide. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

Finally, her mind was further plagued by thoughts of that cursed Zi-Ou. His final smile to Kaire from when he walked out of the temple a couple of days before lingered in her mind. What did he mean by it? Did he actually like her? She shuttered at the thought. She had always sensed that something was a bit off with that character, but now the feeling came back with the force of a punch to the gut. What was Zi-Ou up to, if was up to anything at all? Kaire struggled to stop thinking about him and focus on the task and problem at hand, which currently eclipsed all other concerns, personal or otherwise.

Four days had gone by, and Kaire had now reached the next province, where the capitol was located. She was still wandering about the rural parts of the region, but had occasionally made her way through some small cities. She had spent her nights in some local temples that dotted the region. What Kaire did was simply ask people if there were any Taoist sanctuaries in the region. Being pointed in the right direction, Kaire would go to the temple if it were located within a reasonable distance of the main road. There, she would present the monks with a letter from her father, who apparently was known throughout the land. The Taoist monks would then allow her to stay the night at the temple.

Kaire had made most of the journey on foot, although occasionally a merchant or farmer would give her a ride on a horse-drawn cart. She was most grateful for those few demonstrations of kindness, since they allowed her feet to rest from the hours of non-stop walking. It also gave her someone to talk to, as the miles of endless plains, while giving her a lot of time to think, often bored her and made her feel quite lonely. Unacquainted with the world outside of Wudan, Kaire took advantage to learn about the people of the region and how life was in the central plains of the empire.

Kaire continued walking down the main road, which currently ran through a series of sorghum and corn fields. The women working in the fields occasionally looked up and stared at her. Kaire smiled and waved at them, who responded by simply returning to their labors. Kaire wiped the sweat from her brow. She removed her leather cap during the day as it was too hot to wear, and instead wore a gold-plated headband that her mother had worn before she passed away. It was the only thing that Kaire had to remind her of her mother, who died when she was still very young.

Near the end of the day, a merchant heading in the other direction said that the capitol was only a two days' journey from where she was. Kaire felt relieved at that and picked up the pace a little in order to cover the distance as soon as possible. Despite the danger of bandits along the way, Kaire travelled until the later hours of the night in order to get in at least two days of investigation before Zi-Ou and the "ego bunch" arrived.

It was shortly after dawn on the sixth day when Kaire came within view of the walls of the capitol. She stared in awe at the vastness of the city from the top of the hill she stood upon. The city seemed to stretch for miles in all directions, the tall buildings beyond the walls seeming to number more than the grains of stone that made up the Wudan Mountain. Kaire gazed upon the mass of urban construction for a few minutes before descending the hill and making her way to the city gate.

It must have been around six o'clock when Kaire walked through the city gates. Even at such an early hour, the roads were so full of people that she could barely see her a few feet in front of her. Hundreds of stalls lined the numerous avenues, its owners selling all manner of fruits, candies, and other assorted goodies. The smells these foods produced made Kaire's stomach rumble. She reached into a leather pouch that hung from her belt and produced a few coins. She purchased two steaming hot pork buns from a local vendor and made her way to a less densely-populated alleyway to enjoy her small breakfast.

Finishing her meal, Kaire sat down for a minutes to think about what she would do next. She was in a huge city full of millions of people, none of whom knew or cared who she was or why she was there. As she sat pondering, she had an idea. Kaire got up and left the alleyway, looking for a more secluded one where she might not be seen. It took her a while, but she finally found a place where she was more or less alone. She reached into her vest and pulled out one of her piercers. Taking a quick glance to confirm that nobody was looking at her, Kaire cut the tips of two of her fingers on a sharpened end of the piercer. She then ran her bloodied fingers across the smooth, cold metal surface of the piercer, especially where she had etched in the numerous runes.

The runes began to glow, giving off a dull, but easily seen yellow light, which contrasted greatly against the silvery metal. Kaire then touched her forehead and muttered a few words under her breath. She twisted her hands and ran her fingers along the rod one more time, after which she slipped her middle finger into the ring of the weapon and quickly pulled her cuff over the part of the rod that extended past the palm of her hand. It began to move on its own pointing in a random direction.

Kaire began to follow the piercer wherever it pointed. Luckily for her, the throng was so great that nobody noticed the female Taoist sorceress in men's clothing walking around with an iron rod sticking out of her sleeve. She had to be careful not to poke any one in front of her on accident, though. She followed the rod as it led her from one street to another, up and down numerous alleyways, from one residential district to the next. It took almost two hours to make her way through one section of the city, since some of the larger avenues were so congested with people that she had to move at a snail's pace.

She followed the rod diligently, however, which ended up leading her to a house in a residential district far from the gate through which she entered. The house was on the other side of a large stone gate. She looked around; the neighboring house seemed to be a foundry or smithy of sorts, judging from the loud sounds of clanging metal that came from beyond the wall. She thought nothing of it and knocked on the door a few times.

In a few moments, a young servant girl opened the door. The servant girl said nothing at first, but simply looked over Kaire from head to toe. The girl seemed rather interested in the mirror that hung from Kaire's belt and the wooden sword that was strapped to her back.

"Excuse me," Kaire said shyly. "May I speak to your madam?"

"One moment, please." The servant closed the door and Kaire could hear her going back in the house.

A few moments later, Kaire heard the patter of little feet and the door opened again. Instead of the servant girl, however, was a beautiful young lady with long, turquoise hair. The maiden was dressed in a light pink gown and was fanning herself against the early morning heat. Kaire, not knowing what to say, tried to force out a smile as the maiden stared at her.

The maiden finally spoke, also trying to sound cheerful. "I knew that I would eventually be having guests—"she paused and sighed. "I didn't expect a woman, though."

Kaire seemed a bit shocked. "So you know—"

The maiden cut her off. "Of course, I do. We know many things that you don't."

"Well, my mission here is a bit different than what you might expect. Please, can we discuss the matter indoors?"

The woman looked at Kaire strangely, and finally relented and opened the door fully, letting her in. "May I ask your name, kind visitor?"

"Of course," answered Kaire genially. "I'm Ti'Er Kaire of Wudan."

The woman, who was walking toward the house, stopped for a moment. "The reputation of the name Ti'Er is quite well known among those of our sphere."

"I imagine so. And may I please know your name?"

"Yes, you may. I am Lung Saya."


	4. Chapter 4

Saya led Kaire into her house, a small, but comfortable place with a large room for receiving visitors, a small kitchen and dining área, and two médium-sized bedrooms. The servant who had answered the door was in the kitchen cleaning. Saya invited Kaire to sit down at the table, which she did. Saya then ordered the servant to bring out some tea, after which she ordered the girl to go and stay at the neighbor's house, which apparently belonged to Saya's in-laws, for the rest of the day. The servant girl simply nodded and hurried out of the house.

"So," began Kaire, trying to hide her weariness with a bit cheer. "Please help yourself to some tea."

Kaire nodded in thanks and reached for a small teacup. She looked at the cup, which bore the design of a beautiful blue bellflower on it. Staring at the flower, for quick moment Kaire had the impression that the flower was giving off a faint glow. Thinking that it was only in her mind, she let Saya pour the sweet-smelling tea into her cup. A quick sip filled Kaire's body with a warmth that she hadn't felt all morning.

Seeing that her guest didn't say anything, Saya opened the conversation. "So Miss Ti'Er—"

"Call me Kaire."

"Kaire, why are you here? What do you want with me, of all people?"

Kaire sipped her tea a little more and let out a loud sigh. "Wait—" she sputtered. She reached into her leather pouch and produced a small candle. Saya furrowed her brows at the object, not knowing what it meant. Kaire placed her index and middle fingers on her forehead, muttered some unintelligible words, and suddenly, a small flame started burning on their tips. Saya gasped lightly as Kaire lit the candle with her fingers. "Saya, I want to know the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."

Saya nodded without saying a word. "About the decree?"

Kaire inclined her head. "Yes. First of all, are you a fox spirit?"

Saya shook her head. "No. I am a flower nymph."

"But—" Kaire started.

"Yes. I married a mortal. His name is Lung Han. He's a scholar who works at the Imperial library." Saya proceeded to tell Kaire her story, of how she had been the slave of a wicked priest, who had also bewitched Han's mother. Saya had informed Han, who in turn slew the priest and saved both his mother and Saya in the process. When she was free, she helped Han study for the public exams, which he passed. Upon becoming a public servant, the two were married. Kaire listened raptly, simply nodding in agreement.

"So if you know about the decree? Why haven't you gone back over to your sphere like your colleagues?"

"I love my husband. I don't know if he'd be able to take it if I simply disappeared."

"Why don't the two of you simply flee?"

"My spirit is inseparably linked with the bellflower plant outside in the garden. If we were to abandon this place and someone were to move in, if they for some reason killed or neglected the plant, that would be the end of me. And the flower is so delicate that I couldn't just pick it and carry it with me. It'd quickly wither away and that'd be the end of me. I guess I'd rather wait for fate to find me than to try to run away from it."

The candle flame burned steadily as Saya spoke. Kaire divided her attention between the beautiful nymph who sat in front of her and the candle flame. If the flame were to flicker at any moment, she'd know something was wrong.

"So about the decree—are the fox spirits really—"

Saya silenced Kaire with a wave of her hand. "No. It is all lies. There's more intrigue within the confines of the court that you could ever imagine."

"That's what dad feared," Kaire muttered under her breath. "So who's responsible for this? I assume it's the same person who's behind the whole business with the Hunter's Guild."

Saya nodded gravely. "Lau Shek."

Kaire squinted for a moment and then her eyes suddenly widened. She placed her hands on the table and pushed herself toward Saya. "You mean…the eunuch?"

Saya remained silent for a few moments. "He wants to overthrow the dynasty. But first he needs to get rid of the opposition. That's why he convinced the Emperor that the spirits and the Hunter's Guild were actually enemies of the state."

Kaire stared at the steady flame of the candle for several moments. "So if somebody could defeat—"

"I doubt you'll ever have the opportunity for that, Ti'Er Kaire," said a voice from the doorway.

Kaire jumped to her feet and instinctively drew her wooden sword. There, standing in the doorway were Xie A'Tou, Li Fa-Gan, and Gi Le-Fa, their swords drawn and pointed at Kaire.


	5. Chapter 5

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," Said Li Fa-Gan snidely, as he and his cohorts stepped inside the house, tapping their swords on the ground. All three were dressed in full Taoist regalia: Long flowing robes, a square-shaped cap with a Yin-Yang symbol on the front, and an eight-trigram mirror hanging from their necks. "Looks like we have a little traitor in our midst."

Gi Le-Fa let out a sinister laugh. "Daddy wouldn't like to know that his daughter disobeyed government orders in fraternizing with the enemy now, would he? Oh no," he said mockingly. "Especially since that could get daddy in to lots of trouble."

Kaire scowled at her three colleagues. "How did the three of you get here so fast? How did you know I was here?"

Xie A'Tou wagged his finger at Kaire. "Tut. Tut. I don't think you're in the position to be asking anything at all. But, since I wouldn't like to leave you hanging, well not yet, I'll tell you. We came here on horseback. Gi had a few horses stashed away in the village at the foot of Wudan. We figured that Master Ti'Er would try to pull a fast one, so we were prepared."

Kaire clenched her fists and bit down on her lip. "What does it matter what my father does? Who do you think you are?" Her voice quivered as she raised her volume.

"Eunuch Lau Shek likes to keep tabs on those who may be potential obstacles. That's why he sent us to Wudan."

Kaire went pale upon hearing that, and her grip on her sword began to loosen. Her thoughts raced to her father as the thought of Lau Shek turning his attentions to Wudan crossed her mind. "You mean, the three of you are—"

"Yes," interrupted Li Fa-Gan, raising his sword with one hand and pointing it in the direction of Kaire's throat. "We're spies from the court. And it appears that Lau Shek will be quite interested to know that the master of Wudan is in cahoots with those whom he ordered to be exterminated."

Kaire's face quickly grew scarlet and her grip on the sword tightened. "Rascals! I was always better than the lot of you anyways. If you want to kill me and Saya here, you're going to have to fight for it." Kaire bent one of her knees and raised her sword into a defensive position.

Xie A'Tou looked at his companions and pointed at Saya. "The spirit knows too much. Kill her first. The boss wants Kaire alive if possible."

Kaire reached back with her free hand and grabbed Saya by the wrist, pulling her against her back. "Stay behind me at all times," Kaire whispered lightly to the visibly frightened nymph. "You have to trust me on this. Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Saya nodded feebly.

The three mages charged Kaire with their swords drawn. Kaire screamed and thrust her wooden sword out, striking Li Fa-Gan in the chest with a loud _THUMP_. Li flew back at the impact of the blow and Kaire too recoiled as the force of the blow traveled up the sword and into her wrist, pushing her back. Gi Le-Fa and Xie A'Tou savagely swung their swords at Saya's head. Kaire quickly swept Saya's feet out from under her, knocking her to the ground, her head narrowly missing their swords on the way down. Kaire swung her sword upward, which met with the two swords. The three recoiled from the force of the blow, but quickly regained their ground again.

Xie A'Tou began jabbing his weapon at Saya, who still lay on the ground. Kaire parried the blows, causing Xie to become angry. He diverted his attention from Saya and howled as he tried to pierce Kaire's throat with his weapon, determined to watch her die a slow death, order or no order. Kaire sidestepped the blow and twisted her body, watching the wooden blade come within inches of her neck. Kaire pivoted her foot and threw out her other leg with all her might, burying her foot in Xie's stomach and knocking the wind out of him. She angrily jammed the haft of her sword into the back of his head, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Gi Le-Fa and Li Fa-Gan, seeing that Kaire's attention was now on their colleague, raised their weapons and ran toward Saya, who was now getting up. Noticing this, Kaire's heart skipped a beat and she turned and leapt into the path of the two's swords. Kaire yelped in pain as the wooden blades struck her in the chest and shoulder, causing her to fall to the ground. Gi and Li howled in triumph as they looked upon Kaire, reeling on the ground from the blows she received.

"Witch! That should give you a taste of the torment you gave us during all those years of training at the temple," Li Fa-Gan said.

Kaire got to her knees, breathing heavily as struggled to get up again. "Oh don't worry. What I put you through at the temple will be nothing what I'll do to you today."

Gi and Li pulled their arms back to deliver another wide swing to Saya. Kaire took a deep breath and dived in Saya's direction. She then twisted her body so that she was face up and raised her sword, which blocked the twin blows. The force of the blows slammed her on her back, but luckily had saved Saya. Kaire quickly pulled Saya on top of her and wrapped her arms around her. Gi Le-Fa stepped forward and raised his foot to stomp on the girls. Kaire angrily swung her sword and hit his foot, following up with a unforgiving jab to Gi's groin. Kaire chuckled to herself as Gi Le-Fa's voice cracked into a feeble squeal. Kaire quickly rolled over and got to her feet. With a satisfied smile she brought her sword across Gi's face, leaving a dark purple bruise on his jaw in its wake.

Li Fa-Gan and Xie A'Tou launched another assault on Saya. Kaire grabbed the woman and pushed her body away from the merciless attacks of the two. For almost a minute, Kaire manipulated Saya's body pushing and pulling her head, arms, and body in numerous directions to avoid the multiple attacks that came from every which way. Their blades passed over and under her arms and legs as they fruitlessly sought to destroy her. Li and Xie finally gave up and, at the nod of a head, leapt into the air together to deliver a final overhead blow to Saya. Kaire quickly pulled Saya under her legs out of the range of their attacks and placed her sword above her head to block the incoming attack.

The impact of their strikes was so great that Kaire's sword simply shattered into splinters. Kaire fell over backwards, landing on her back with a dull thud. She glanced at her broken weapon for a moment and took a deep breath. Xie motioned for Li Fa-Gan to stand aside as he went in for the kill. Xie angrily dashed towards Kaire and thrust his sword directly at the girl's heart. Kaire again stepped back and pivoted her body, watching the blade rub savagely against her vest, narrowly missing its target. Kaire quickly grabbed Xie A'Tou's wrist and twisted it. Xie grunted in anger, but his grunts soon became an agonizing groan of pain as he Kaire, now in control, began hammering down on his head with the broken sword.

_CLUNK!_

"You never—"

_CLUNK! _

"—were as good as"

_CRACK!_

"me. This will teach—"

_CRACK!_

"you to insult—"

_SQUISH!_

"someone superior to you."

Xie A'Tou collapsed and fell to the ground in a great heap. The anger that fueled Kaire's attacks quickly gave way to an exceedingly sickened feeling as she stared into his glazed eyes. Numerous streams of blood were running down face and his young, mustached face was frozen in a look of pure horror. Blood poured from a gaping wound in his hand and the light in the house shined off is soaking-wet hair. For brief moment, Kaire began to feel faint. She then looked up and saw Li Fa-Gan and Gi Le-Fa, harassing Saya, pushing her back and forth between them. Kaire yelled and through the broken sword at Li Fa-Gan hitting him square in the face and knocking him backward.

Gi Le-Fa grabbed Saya by the throat and laughed. "I'm really going to enjoy killing the both of you witches. You know, life at the monastery was never much fun. But killing the two of you—seems to promise a sense of fulfillment that all those Taoist rituals never quite gave me."

Kaire gave Gi Le-Fa a sinister smile and inclined her head in a mock bow. "I haven't given up, yet, dog."

Gi Le-Fa chuckled. "One unarmed woman against two armed men—the odds are indeed against you, are they not?"

"Then we'll just have to balance the equation," retorted the female warrior. Kaire reached into her vest and removed her two piercers from the pocket within. Gi Le-Fa's and Li Fa-Gan's eyes widened as they saw Kaire calmly slip her middle fingers into the rings of the piercers.

"Where did you get those?" Li Fa-Gan stammered. "We never studied those at the temple?"

Kaire laughed. "I know. I learned them on my own." She shook her wrists slightly, causing the piercers to start spinning. The familiar _whoosh_ of the twirling iron rods gave Kaire a feeling of reassurance. "Better keep yours on them. Otherwise you'll die without ever knowing what hit you."

Gi Le-Fa shoved Saya aside and held his sword with both hands. Li Fa-Gan, wiping the blood off his nose with his sleeve, did the same. They stepped carefully toward Kaire, who moved toward them moving her arms slowly up and down as the piercers continued twirling without cease. Every now and then, Gi and Li would take large step toward Kaire, who would then throw her arms forward, causing them to step back in fear. Kaire responded to their fear with a cruel smile of content. For about a minute, the three slowly stepped in a circle.

Li Fa-Gan made the first move. He lunged at Kaire, aiming his sword for her mouth. Kaire quickly parried the sword with one of her piercers and coolly swung the other rod, still spinning, at Li's face. Blood spurted out of the deep wound in his cheek as the spearhead-like end ripped unforgivingly into his skin. Kaire struck him with her shoulder, knocking him against the wall. Gi Le-Fa tried to attack, but his blows were all deflected. Spinning both piercers wildly, Kaire gleefully sliced through the layers of his red robes, occasionally leaving shallow cuts in his torso. Gi looked at his bleeding body in surprise. Kaire, seeing him distracted, thrust her foot into his stomach, sending him into a chair and reducing it to splinters.

Li Fa-Gan rushed Kaire again, but she caught his sword between both of the iron rods she wore, leaving Li defenseless. She twisted and spun his arms in a circle until he let go of his sword. Kaire rammed her head into his, her forehead striking his nose like a hammer. Li reeled back, covering his nose with his hands and spouting all matter of obscenities at Kaire.

Kaire stood staring at Li Fa-Gan, her lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile. Suddenly, her attention was diverted by a loud scream from Saya. Kaire spun around just in time to see the brown blur of Gi Le-Fa's sword come into contact with her jaw. Kaire was soon on the ground, dazed. Her mouth began to feel warm. Spitting on the floor, Kaire became nervous as she saw that her mouth had filled with blood. Another downward arching blow came, directed at Kaire's head. Kaire crossed her piercers and caught the blow, although Gi continued pushing down, determined to break her skull open at all costs. Kaire finally lurched forward and jammed the sharp end of one of her piercers into Gi Le-Fa's thigh. Gi nearly dropped his sword at that moment, cursing loudly as Kaire sadistically twisted the rod inside the wound and then pulled the blood-stained weapon from his leg. She spun her other piercer wildly and lifted her arm to the level of Gi's stomach. The sharpened edges of the piercer shredded the silky red fabric of his robes and dug into his belly, flinging red droplets all over the room.

Kaire got to her feet, rubbing her jaw. The pain was tremendous and she soon realized that Gi Le-Fa had broken it. She glanced at Li Ga-Fan who was clinging to a wall, trying to not to faint. Gi Le-Fa had staggered over to the table and was holding himself up on it, breathing raggedly. Kaire reached into her pouch and produced a small bottle of _dai mei_, which she rubbed on her jaw. The pain began to lessen, but not very much. Saya ran over to her.

Just then, both Gi and Li composed themselves and took up their swords one more time. Brandishing the long wooden weapons with both hands, they lifted them up and pointed them at Saya. Kaire began to rhythmically move her wrists, setting her piercers into motion. Gi and Li let out a final war cry and started running at the two. Saya wrapped her arms around Kaire's waist, who stood perfectly still. Then, with perfectly dexterity, Kaire blocked and trapped all of their blows, all of which came dangerously close to Saya's face. Kaire found an opening and swung her foot savagely into the wound in Gi Le-Fa's thigh, causing him to break off his attack. Kaire spun around to face Li Fa-Gan, who was running at her, both hands raised over his head. With a flick of her wrist and strong sideways movement of her arms, Kaire flung one of the piercers from her hand, the ring sliding from her finger, causing the still-twirling rod the fly toward Li Fa-Gan. In a fraction of a second, the piercer found its target in Li's neck. Li clenched his teeth and clenched his neck as he tried to pull the piercer from it, oblivious to the fountain of blood that spurted from the wound. Li Fa-Gan stumbled through the room, painting the walls and ground red, until he finally toppled to the ground.

Kaire turned to Gi Le-Fa and glared at him. Removing the piercer from her hand and hiding it in her vest, she tackled Gi, slamming his body against the other wall. She dug her fingers into his hair and began slamming his head repeatedly into the wall, screaming which each blow. In a few seconds, the wall began to fill with cracks as Kaire grew more and more ruthless with each successive hit. The cracks on the wall spread in all directions and red flecks of liquid began to color the plaster. It was only when Saya pulled Kaire away from her long-dead opponent that Kaire came to herself again.

For a few moments, Kaire gasped for air and struggled to compose herself again. She surveyed the room, which had been converted into a warzone. The furniture was broken and signs of the bloody battle were to be found all over the walls and floor. As her breathing became more regular, she looked up at Saya, who was staring at her with a face full of both fear and admiration.

"Don't worry," Kaire gasped. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Saya said nothing, but simply nodded; her eyes as wide as two saucers.

Kaire spoke again, her voice in a very low tone. "You and your husband need to leave. There will be others. Trust me."

Saya took a deep breath and was about to speak when she suddenly let out a high-pitched, blood-curdling scream. Her eyes grew even more and her face contorted in agony. A small stream of blood ran down the corner of her mouth and she clutched her bosom above her heart. Saya began to stagger toward Kaire, who was now trembling with fear and confusion. Kaire rushed to Saya side to hold her, but Saya's legs soon began to give out and she sank to the ground. Kaire now was screaming her name repeatedly, but Saya say anything; she simply stared blankly into space. Kaire violently shook the fallen nymph, but her efforts elicited no response.

After a few moments, Saya weakly moved her lips. Kaire placed her ear next to Saya's lips.

"Please, watch over Han. I don't think he can make it without me."

Kaire was too horrified to speak; all she could do was nod weakly.

"I'm sorry," called a familiar voice at the door. "I had no choice."

Kaire looked up, her eyes glistening from the tears that were beginning to run down her cheek. "Y-You—"she stammered.

Standing in the doorway, this time, was Zi-Ou. In his outstretched hand were a few crushed, blue petals of a bellflower.


	6. Chapter 6

Kaire stared at her black-clad colleague in sheer horror as he stepped into the house and walked toward her. His face was a mixture of emotions, a half-apologetic frown offset by a pair of eyes that burned with arrogance. Kaire tore her stare away from his and looked at the delicate petals that had not yet fallen from his hands. The flower had been Saya's lifeforce. No, the flower was Saya. She was a flower nymph and thus she was literally one with the plant she represented. Zi-Ou, her colleague from the temple, had not simply killed a plant. He murdered a living being, a living, breathing person.

Zi-Ou knelt next to Kaire, who was still in shock over what had occurred. He reached out and stroked her face for a moment, brushing her large bangs of blue hair aside. Kaire stared at him, not knowing whether to wait for an explanation or deck him at that moment. Kaire felt her blood boil and her hands tremble, but she decided to wait to see how Zi-Ou would explain himself. Her colleague looked upon her with some sort of false compassion, after which he looked over at the fallen nymph and simply shook his head. Seeing that, Kaire could think of nothing else but to do worse to him than she had done to the other three dead mages inside the house.

"As I said," he started, his sincerity ringing hollow, "I had to do it. I did it for your father. Other priests from other parts of the land would've found her and would've discovered the truth. If they were to tell Lau Shek, that would mean the end of Wudan. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

Kaire clenched her fists, but held her peace. Zi-Ou looked at her face, which was growing more scarlet with each second.

"You don't believe me, do you? Kaire, open your eyes!" His voice filled with some sort of arrogant urgency. "We don't live in some sort of fairy tale world where always doing the right thing brings an immediate reward. Lau Shek is just as capable of hunting down the Wudan Clan as he was with the Hunter's Guild and now the spirits. You don't know what you're up against."

Kaire finally found the strength to speak. "At least I stick to my principles. It's better to do what's right and suffer, than to compromise my values and be nothing but a dog."

Zi-Ou's face broke out into the arrogant smile Kaire had always detested. "Silly girl. Don't you know that sometimes you have to be willing lose a battle or two in order to win the war?"

Kaire bit her lower lip to prevent herself from hurling a long string of epithets at Zi-Ou. "And tell me, Zi-Ou, what is your war? What are you fighting for?"

"I'm fighting for Wudan," answered Zi-Ou, coldly.

"And what exactly is your battle plan? Kill a bunch of innocents to do that?" Kaire made no attempt to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

"I'd ally myself with Lau Shek himself if it meant saving the school," he said.

"So now the truth comes out! Xie and the other two made you some offers on the way her, didn't they? They promised you some sort of office, I imagine. They said that if you worked for the court, they'd leave the school alone. No wait, I bet they didn't even mention the school. I bet they simply offered you some position and you, all full of ambition and whatnot, thought it an appetizing offer. Tell me, am I right?"

Zi-Ou said nothing for a few moments, but simply lifted an eyebrow and pushed his long, black hair back. He fidgeted a little and said, "It is true that the subject was touched upon during the journey. I thought it might be good for the school—"

"Oh, cut the pretense, Zi-Ou!" Kaire screamed. "You're not fooling me! You never fooled me!"

"Please, let me finish," was the quiet reply. "I thought that it could be good for the school. Especially if you were to go to the court with me…as my wife."

Kaire's jaw dropped in pure shock at those words. So after all these years of training together, his arrogance toward her was just a front for the feelings he had for her? How could he? Kaire's mind became a jumbled mess of thoughts as she tried to make sense of his declaration. For a few moments she said nothing, trying to organize her thoughts. Finally, came the reply, "You'd be better off killing me now, Zi-Ou. The answer is 'no'."

"But Kaire, think of the prestige it would bring your father and the clan."

Coldly, Kaire said, "I repeat my proposition. You'd just as well kill me now. Do it, if you know what's good for you."

"But I can't! I love you."

Kaire reached into her fur vest and pulled out her piercer. She hurled it at Zi-Ou, who stood staring at her in dull surprise. Unfortunately, the pain in her body affected her aim and the piercer buried itself in his right shoulder, instead of his heart. Zi-Ou gasped and growled in pain, but quickly regained composure. Giving off a light yelp, Zi-Ou pulled the piercer out of his shoulder and tossed it aside. He muttered a few words and extended his hand. A strong blast of wind emanated from his palm, which lifted Kaire off her feet and carried her across the room, slamming her into a wall.

"Atta boy," mumbled Kaire weakly.

Zi-Ou muttered another string of unintelligible words and fired a blue bolt of water-like energy at her. Kaire quickly grabbed the mirror that hung at her belt and held it in front of her. The mirror, which was set in an octagon known as the eight-trigram, absorbed the energy from the blast, causing the glass to give off an eerie blue light. Kaire muttered a few words and a blue bolt of energy, just like the one Zi-Ou had used on her, flew back at him. Zi-Ou threw himself to the ground, narrowly dodging Kaire's counterattack. The blast struck the wall near the front door, leaving a small hole in it.

Zi-Ou quickly put touched his forehead and chin with his index and middle fingers and began chanting. Kaire's eyes widened in horror as it became obvious to her what he was doing. She pulled herself up and aimed the mirror at him, her arms trembling violently from the blow she had taken. She started muttering a chant of her own and a ball of fire formed in front of the mirror. With a final word, the fireball launched itself in Zi-Ou's direction. He stood up and remained motionless. The fireball struck in square in the chest. Zi-Ou did not flinch in the least from the blow.

Dang it, thought Kaire. He's using the iron armor technique, she said to herself. Now he's impervious to damage. I wish my dad had told me how to counteract this technique.

Zi-Ou threw his arms out toward Kaire. A spinning bolt of energy that looked like electricity shot out toward Kaire. She ducked aside, the bolt grazing her cheek. She quickly performed the _foi _technique again, firing two large fireballs at Zi-Ou. The fireballs dissipated instantly on contact with Zi-Ou. Kaire got up and felt a strange sensation on her face, as if a tear was trickling down her cheek. She ran her finger across her cheek and saw it that it was bleeding from Zi-Ou's _gra_ attack.

Kaire staggered out of the room toward the door that led to what must have been Saya's bedroom. Before she could reach the door, another strong blast of wind—the _zan_ technique—struck Kaire and, lifting her into the air, carried her into the door at high speed, reducing the wooden structure to splinters and dropping Kaire on the floor. Kaire struggled to get up, but all of her joints were aching and her legs were almost like jelly. As she fought to get to her knees, a third _zan_ technique struck her, tossing her body against the wall like a rag doll. Kaire found that she could hardly breathe, as the wind had been knocked out of her.

After about a minute, Zi-Ou walked calmly into the room. Looking none the worse for wear—Kaire figured he must've put some medicine on his wound—he strode up to her with the arrogant gait that Kaire had come to loathe back at Wudan. He looked down at Kaire, who was writhing in pain on the ground, and shook his head. "I've disposed of the three for you, so that's okay." He reached into his pouch and produced a small vial of _dai mei_, which he threw on the ground on the opposite side of the room from Kaire. "My offer still stands, Kaire. Please, we can put this stuff behind us and have a future together." He sighed. "We don't have to be enemies, you know. I never wanted that to happen." He turned and walked away.

Kaire said nothing as she was still gasping for air. She watched helplessly as the man left the house, leaving her alone. As she started to breathe normally again, she turned her thoughts to one thing: She needed to leave and quick!


	7. Chapter 7

Kaire, still aching all over from the numerous _zan_ blasts she had taken, dragged her body along the floor to the other side of the room, wincing with each movement. She groaned and whined, but soon made her way to the vial of _dai mei_ that Zi-Ou had left her before leaving. Although she still seethed with anger toward her colleague, Kaire set those feelings aside in order to focus on her getting out of the house and to safety before she was found out by anyone. Opening the vial of the curative liquid, she rubbed a little on her legs and torso, which quickly negated a fair portion of the pain she was feeling and gave her the strength she needed to get back to her feet.

Kaire limped out of the room she was in and back into the main room of the house. She saw that the dead bodies of Xie A'Tou, Gi Le-Fa, and Li Fa-Gan, were still lying on the floor. The entire room looked like a war zone, with the blood of the slain splattered about and the furniture reduced to splinters. Kaire saw the fallen form of Saya, whose body began to fade into nothingness. Kaire remembered the heart-wrenching sight of Saya's final moments, and her anger flared once again at Zi-Ou. For a moment, she imagined herself pouncing on that murderer and stabbing him with her piercer until the fiend was completely unrecognizable as a human being. Kaire quickly banished the thought from her mind, however, as she focused herself on the task at hand.

Inspecting each of the three fallen sorcerers, Kaire found a bag of money on each of them, which she removed and placed in her pouch, which had fallen from her belt when she began dueling with Zi-Ou. Rummaging through her pouch, she found one last vial of _dai mei _that she herself had brought and applied it to her wounds. Feeling more refreshed than before, Kaire was able to move about a little more quickly and gathered together her things. She removed one of her piercers from the throat of Li Fa-Gan and picked up the other one from off the ground and stuffed both into her brown vest. She picked up her leather cap from off the table and covered her bloodstained blue hair with it. Near the wall lay her eight-trigram mirror, which she grabbed and tied to her belt.

"What to do with the bodies of these three scoundrels," she said to herself.

Kaire then had an idea. She dragged the three bodies outside one by one and piled one on top of the other. She stepped back a couple of steps and placed her right index and middle fingers on her forehead. She began chanting an incantation and then said the word "_nafoi"_ under her breath. A large ball of dark-orange fire formed above her left palm. Pointing her right hand at the three bodies, the fireball flew towards the three bodies. In a matter of seconds, the bodies were reduced to a pile of ashes, which were quickly scattered by the wind.

It was while she was outside that Kaire spied a small pile of blue flower petals on the ground near the wall of the house. Kaire solemnly walked over to the wall and saw the mangled green stalk of the bellflower, of Saya herself. Kaire wiped away a tear as she lifted up the stalk and petals and examined them closely. Getting to her knees, Kaire dug into the soft black earth with her hands and made a small hole. Placing the twisted, shredded stalk and beautiful blue petals into the hole, Kaire began to cover it with the earth.

It was as she performed Saya's "burial" that Kaire spotted something in the soil that immediately gave her a warm feeling. Half buried in the dirt was a dry, tan-colored object. She reached over and grabbed it, taking a close look at it. With a light shake, she heard a comforting rattle.

"A seedbox," Kaire whispered to herself.

Kaire quickly stuffed the seedbox into her pouch and went back into the house. She rummaged through the house and was able to find a pen and a small piece of paper. With a current of hope flowing through her veins, Kaire scribbled a small note for Han, Saya's husband. Something had to be done about Zi-Ou and, more importantly, Lau Shek, before more innocent lives were lost. As she placed the note on the table and headed for the door, her mind began to fill with various different ideas of what plan she could elaborate to put an end to this madness. Nonetheless, she could not do it alone. If Lung Han were to agree with her, than he would be her first ally. But she would need more than simply one scholar by her side.

As she stepped out the gate and started hurrying to the rendezvous point, a single idea made its way into her head and refused to leave. The idea was summed up into one word: _Refuge_.


End file.
